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The GQ Style interview with Outkast rapper André Benjamin was titled “The Art to André 3000.” This title reflects how his fans see him as a wandering black star in our mundane world. After a 17-year hiatus from releasing albums, André has surprised his fans with a mostly improvised instrumental album where he takes on the role of lead flautist. While it may seem confusing, this is in line with his brand. Even without his usual rapping, the album is still captivating and worth listening to (“What am I talking about? ‘I got to go get a colonoscopy?'” he recently joked).
Benjamin excels in woodwind instruments. He played the flute in the soundtrack for Everything Everywhere All at Once and showcased his clarinet skills in 2018’s tribute to his mother, Look Ma No Hands. His latest album, New Blue Sun, has a strangely captivating charm unlike his previous works. The song titles are witty and obscure, proving his knack for clever wordplay is still alive. It would have been interesting to hear Outkast’s take on the ayahuasca experience that inspired “That Night in Hawaii When I Turned Into a Panther and Started Making These Low Register Purring Tones That I Couldn’t Control… Sh¥t Was Wild,” but the swampy, ominous beat tells its own tales. The first and last tracks are also noteworthy – eerie and unpredictable, like postcards from another planet.
Source: theguardian.com
